Dying Bleached Hair Back to Brown??

Waiting isn't necessary. Your hair won't get any healthier with the passage of time (unless you wait for it to grow out).

I recently coloured my bleached (pale yellow) hair brown with a permanent product. I wouldn't recommend it. I regret not using a semi-perm., because this isn't the colour I was aiming for. It is also fading rapidly. Three weeks ago it was walnut; now it's light golden brown. I'm afraid it's going to fade to orange, but I don't want to put any more ammonia on my hair at this point.

If your hair was bleached to the white stage, you've probably done some damage. Have you experienced any breakage? You would probably be better off with a toner at this point because it will be less damaging than a product with ammonia in it.

I think your safest option would be something like Clairol Creme Toner. It's usually best to use a toner on bleached hair. It may fade quickly (unless your hair is very porous) so you will need to re-apply every 3 weeks or so. Permanent hair colour (with ammonia) can have unpredictable results on bleached hair and could cause further damage. Whatever you choose to do, make sure you do a strand test first. If you choose a permanent colour I would suggest letting the strand process, rinsing off excess colour and then waiting 2-3 days to see if there is any breakage.

Someone with more expertise may have some different suggestions for you.

Good luck.

P.S. I just thought of another option (this one's my favourite). You could use a demi-permanent -- Clairol Complements. It may actually become permanent on bleached hair.

Forking over the dough is always an option. If you do decide to go this route, make sure you find someone who specializes in colour correction -- you don't need any more damage.

I don't think you're stuck though. I mentioned Creme Toner when I meant Natural Instincts. You could use Natural Instincts (semi-permanent). It is sometimes used to tone bleached hair but it comes in dark colours too. It's very gentle and shouldn't do much more damage to your hair. I find it actually makes my hair feel softer. Just make sure you do a test strand first. I've found that Natural Instincts tends to come out much warmer than the colour shown on the box. That's just me; your results may be different. The packaging says that the colour will last about 28 shampoos; it may last longer on your hair because it's damaged. It's hard to know -- sometimes porosity will make it fade faster. It's hard to predict. Anyway, that's one option. You can buy it at most drugstores and supermarkets. It's really cheap too.

Good luck.

P.S. If you want to use a permanent colour, you may be able to. Do a test strand first -- to make sure you get the colour you're aiming for. Then, leave the strand for 2 to 3 days and check it for breakage. If the hair gets elastic-y or breaks, you'll know that your hair won't withstand the additional damage of a permanent colour. If the strand looks okay, then you may be fine with one application of a permanent colour. I would definitely stick with a 20 vol. toner, though -- nothing higher -- you don't need any lightening and you don't need the additional damage.

I agree with you Claribuzz. Semi-perms are always my first choice for avoiding damage. Is it just me, or have you ever found your hair feeling healthier AFTER using a semi-permanent?